For The Church Gavin OrtlundFor The Church Gavin Ortlundhttps://ftc.co/resource-library/author-index/gavin-ortlund
Why I'm ComplementarianGavin OrtlundWhereas egalitarianism tries to redress real problems by taking away the principle of male headship altogether, complementarianism does so by radically redefining it in light of the gospel.
Whereas egalitarianism tries to redress real problems by taking away the principle of male headship altogether, complementarianism does so by radically redefining it in light of the gospel.
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Fri, 13 Nov 2015 01:00:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/why-im-complementarian
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/1635Why I'm ComplementarianWhy I'm Complementarian

By complementarianism, I mean the view that men and women are equal as God’s fellow image bearers, but nonetheless have some differences of role in the church and in the home. The way I like to put it is equal, but not interchangeable. In other words, you cannot simply swap male and female in and out of different roles without any consequence; nor are the differences between male and female mere matters of anatomy. There are some fundamental, structural, psychological differences as well (though they are never matters of better or worse). Two specific ways this plays out: I think the husband is called to a loving leadership role in the marriage, and the office of elder/bishop/overseer (and pastor as we typically use the term) is reserved for men.

Let me be clear: as a complementarian, I oppose with all my heart (as much as any egalitarian, I hope) the misuse of male strength, so common in ancient cultures and still prevalent today. I recognize that many human cultures have indeed perpetuated systems and environments in which women have been denigrated and downplayed and devalued. But whereas egalitarianism tries to redress this problem by taking away the principle of male headship altogether, complementarianism does so by radically redefining it in light of the gospel. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). That means complementarianism is a call to die, to love, to serve. In my relationship to Esther, it means that I seek to be the first to soften and apologize in conflict, and that I seek to put her needs above my own – it means that I walk 10 miles to please her rather than walk 1 mile to please myself. I don’t do this perfectly, of course. But that is my target. That is what complementarianism means to me on a daily basis.

Why do I hold this view? A few reasons:

1) First, and this is more of a preliminary consideration than an argument per se, egalitarianism (as I use the term, the view that men and women have identical roles) is historically quite eccentric. To the best I can tell, its the product of recent Western cultures only. Almost every other civilization has conceived of men and women as having different roles in various spheres of life. I am not saying all ancient/Eastern cultures were/are complementarian. I think complementarianism, biblically defined, is radically subversive in every culture. For example, the call to Christ-like, sacrificial love from husbands to their wives runs counter to the staunch patriarchalism of many ancient cultures. Jesus’ own treatment of women (welcoming them as disciples, teaching them, etc.) was profoundly counter-cultural. I am simply saying that we should have some historical perspective in approaching this issue. Egalitarianism may be the default leaning in our setting, but if we widen our horizon its very much a minority voice. Unless we have a bias in favor of 21st century Western democratic cultures, this should humble us a bit and give us perspective. Why should our culture see the truth more clearly than others?

2) The Trinity is my model for all human relationship. And I would say the Trinity is pretty decidedly complementarian (Father-Son-Spirit), not egalitarian (Brother-Brother-Spirit). I am aware of the debate about this point in the literature, bit it seems basic to me that a father-son relationship is complementarian: each person complements the other with a unique role. In the case of the divine Father-Son relationship, for instance, the Son eternally submits to the Father, while the Father does not eternally submit to the Son. The very fact that this God reveals this relationship with our words “father” and “son” is quite telling. Has anyone ever seen a father and son relate to each as though they had identical roles? Does it sound egalitarian when Jesus says, “the Father is greater than I?” (John 14:28)?

That means before I ever get to debate about male and female, a crucial domino has already fallen for a long while back – namely, the premise that relationships of hierarchy and subordination, of headship and submission, are not necessarily bad or oppressive or unfair. In fact, this kind of differentiation of role characterizes the relationship, the architectonic relationship, the love and joy that pulses at the core of reality. Diverse roles within equality of being and value: this is what a perfect, overflowingly joyful, happy, free, loving God looks like. We don’t need to be scared of this. It’s not bad.

3) Before we ever appeal to Scripture, there are strong sociological reasons for believing that men and women are different in a variety of ways that transcend culture or upbringing. Again, at the risk of reiterating this point too much, the differences are never a matter of better or worse! But there are differences. That makes me further open to the fact that maybe these differences go back to something about the way God made us.

4) The creation narrative of the Bible emphasizes that men and women are equal as God’s fellow image bearers (Genesis 1:26-28). In fact, it seems to me that the text indicates that the image of God shines forth in humanity as male and female; thus, if either all men or all women were to suddenly vanish, the image of God on planet earth would not be reduced to 50%, but to 0%. At the same time, however, the creation narrative is not what you would expect if the Bible were an egalitarian book. If that were the case, you would probably expect men and women created together, naming each other (or both named by God), and each sharing various roles. That is not the case. Adam is created first, names Eve, and she is called his helper. I am not interpreting these facts just now, I am simply reporting them. That is what happens in the narrative. It’s what we all to interpret, and submit ourselves to. I don’t know that Genesis 2 would itself get me to complementarianism without the rest of the Bible, but it’s certainly hard to read it as an egalitarian account.

5) Throughout the Bible, both men and women play a vital role in the life of God’s people. Both use gifts to minister to others in significant ways. But in both Old and New Testament, God establishes a pattern in which the office of highest authority and leadership was held by only men. Throughout the Old Testament, women could serve as prophets, which was an occasional, diverse, ad hoc institution, but only males could serve as the Levitical priests, the regular, ongoing office of leadership among God’s people. Then in the gospels, Jesus calls only male apostles in his inner 12. Egalitarians typically respond that Jesus was adapting to the culture, but is this really plausible? Jesus was not afraid to challenge the culture. He did so all the time. Is it really plausible that Jesus would challenge the culture of his day as radically as he did but capitulate here?

You often hear people say that its sexist to deny equal leadership opportunities for male and female; then was Jesus sexist? He could have chosen 6 and 6. Or 9 women and 3 men just to prove the point. But He chose 12 men. Was Jesus sexist? Was God sexist for the way He set up the Levitical priesthood? Should we be more progressive than Christ was? There is a pattern here already established before we ever get to the office of elder in the church (which, I would say, completes the pattern: priest –> apostle –> elder).

6) Then of course the Pauline texts, five of which stand out to me: I Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:33b-35, Colossians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:21-33, and I Timothy 2:9-15 (I leave I Peter 3:1-7 aside for now). I remember reading through Two Views on Women in Ministry and struggling with Craig Keener’s contribution on I Timothy 2. I wanted to give him a chance to prove me wrong; I read with an open mind. Sometimes I got overwhelmed by the amount of background information he would present, and I would wonder, “hmmm, what if it really was just an issue related to the women in Ephesus?” (Egalitarians typically argue that Paul’s restriction was due to the fact that women were less educated in the first century and as a result more susceptible to false teaching, which indeed certainly did happen in Ephesus [I Timothy 3:6]).

But then a rather obvious thought suddenly hit me: if the problem was women in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine, why didn’t Paul place a restriction on women … in Ephesus … who teaching false doctrine? Why would Paul universalize his concern along the lines of gender? That seems awfully sexist if it really only a problem with certain women. Were there no uneducated men in Ephesus who were susceptible to false teaching? What about women who had not succumbed to false teaching – wouldn’t it be unfair for Paul to exclude them if his concern was only with those who had? Furthermore, there is confirmation of Paul’s prohibition in I Timothy in I Corinthians 11 and I Corinthians 14. And in the latter Paul prefaces his comments with, “as in all the churches of the saints,” and grounds his teaching in “the Law,” which seems to suggest we are dealing with a trans-cultural principle.

There is a danger of appealing to murky, uncertain background situations in such a way that the actual statements of Scripture become neutralized. People do this to try to make Romans 1 not really about homosexuality per se. The bottom line is that Paul does not say that he doesn’t permit a woman who has been influenced by false teaching to teach and have authority in I Timothy 2. He says he doesn’t permit a woman to teach and have authority. Period. No qualifiers. I want to honor Paul’s words.

7) Ephesians 5:21-33 is perhaps the most profound passage in the Bible on the meaning of marriage. Marriage is an institution ordained by God at creation, prior to the entrance of sin into the world. And in this passage, there are clearly different roles for male and female in the way marriage is designed to operate. Certainly Christian husbands and wives are to practice mutual submission (5:21) in the way that all Christians are. But when Paul gets more specific about the husband-wife relationship, not all the arrows point in both directions. There are certain responsibilities that husbands have that wives do not, and certain responsibilities that wives have that husbands do not. For example, Paul nowhere says, “husbands, submit to your wives, as the church submits its (wife??), Christ.” It does not say that.

Gender means something. Diverse roles in gender mean something. In this passage, their meaning is bound up with the gospel. Male, female, husband, wife, Christ, and church are all somehow integrated in Paul’s thinking. “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (5:32). If we flatten out the differences of role assigned to husband and wife, we are in danger of tampering with this God-ordained institution that pictures, and is predicated on, the gospel. Its a big deal to flatten out the differences and make all the arrows point in both directions.

I am not ashamed to be a complementarian. I do not accept that I am 60 years out of date by taking this view. I think it is the best and most reasonable synthesis of all the relevant biblical data, and I think it accords with much of what we know apart from the Bible in the arena of common grace, and I think it can work well in every day life for mom, dad, kids, and society as a whole. It is not a view to be scoffed at and dismissed as out of touch. It should be taken seriously as a non-sexist, non-patriarchal option on the table – even for we in the 21st century West.

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What Does it Mean to Find Your Identity in Christ?Gavin OrtlundWhat does it actually feel like to find our identity in Christ in real time and amidst genuine struggle? I was thinking about this the other idea day and jotted down 5 initial thoughts . . .
What does it actually feel like to find our identity in Christ in real time and amidst genuine struggle? I was thinking about this the other idea day and jotted down 5 initial thoughts . . .
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Fri, 27 Nov 2015 00:15:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/what-does-it-mean-to-find-your-identity-in-christ
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/1666What Does it Mean to Find Your Identity in Christ?What Does it Mean to Find Your Identity in Christ?

We are often told (or tell ourselves) to “find our identity in Christ.” And rightly so, because living out of our new identity in Christ is the defining root of true sanctification. But it can also seem like a rather abstract concept. What does it actually feel like to find our identity in Christ in real time and amidst genuine struggle? How do we unite this great comprehensive category of sanctification to the concrete particulars of Scripture and everyday life? I was thinking about this the other idea day and jotted down 5 initial thoughts, though I am sure we could add more.

1) To find your identity in Christ is to think much of heaven (Col. 3:1-4)

Colossians 3:1-3 is bracketed with union language: “you have been raised (v. 1) … you have died” (v. 3). As in Romans 6, our union with Christ is specifically a union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. But in this passage, it becomes clear that it is also a union with Christ in his ascension (v. 2) and second coming (v. 4). And elsewhere Paul makes it clear that we are united to Christ in his heavenly session (Ephesians 2:6).

Therefore “finding your identity in Christ” is roughly tantamount to “finding your identity in heaven.” To find your identity in Christ is to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is” (v. 1); it is to recall that “your life is hid with Christ in God” (v. 3); it is to say, with Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, “my righteousness is in heaven.”

In other words, finding our identity in Christ involves a kind of spiritual geography: it is a matter of remembering our true location and belonging and family and home. To find your identity in Christ means:

- when you are lonely, you dwell upon the vast assembly of heaven and say, “that is my family”
- when you are afflicted with grief, you anticipate the healing of heaven and say to your heart, “that is my consolation”
- when you are bored, you meditate on the glory of God in heaven and say, “that is my inheritance”
- when you are under-motivated, you fix your heart on the crowns of heaven and say, “that is my reward”
- when you are afraid, you soak your heart with the strength and stability of heaven and say, “that is my home, that is where my name is written”

This works. I have found stopping and just thinking about what heaven will be like for 60 seconds can completely change my perspective. I remember Tim Keller once saying in a sermon something like this: “do you realize that you will be shining like an angel for billions of years after no one can quite recall what a ‘President’ or ‘Caesar’ used to be?” The brighter the blaze of heavenly glory in our hearts, the clearer the nature of our identity in Christ will be in our minds and wills, because heaven is the location of the One to whom we are united.

No wonder before Jesus himself ascended to heaven he said, “I go and prepare a place for you … that where I am you may be also” (John 14:3). To find your identity in Christ is to picture that place, to feel homesick, to long for that reunion.

2) To find your identity in Christ is to see sin as your stranger (Rom. 6:6, Gal. 2:20)

Paul says in Romans 6:6 that “our old self was crucified with him,” and in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live.” For the Christian, sin a foreign, strange thing, like some language we used to know but have forgotten and thus now feels weird and cumbersome. When a Christian willfully sins, it is like sneaking back onto enemy territory, where you no longer belong; or like trying to live in a dream after you’ve already woken up.

I do not mean to minimize the struggle with indwelling sin. On the contrary, the battle with indwelling sin is all-consuming, requiring more endurance than running a marathon and more wisdom than planning a war. But while sin can be very powerful against the Christian, it is ultimately a foreign, external power—in a way, a weird kind of power. The allure of sin may be strong to the Christian, but it is an allure in the direction away from their truest nature and inevitable destination.

The most powerful words I have discovered in my sanctification are, “this is not who I am anymore.” There is real power in speaking those words into temptation, into shame, into fear, into anger. And likewise, there is nothing like the joy of truly overcoming sin and then saying (and knowing it to be true), “this is who I am now.”

To find your identity in Christ is to taste this death and this joy deep in your bones. It is to say to the worst sins and disgraces of our lives, “I am dead to that;” and to say, in the best moment of our lives, that moment where new righteousness springs up unexpectedly, “this is who I am in Christ. This is the joy of Easter morning inside me.”

3) To find your identity in Christ is to be content with weakness and inferiority (I Cor. 15:9-10)

In I Corinthians 15:10, Paul says, “but by the grace of God I am what I am.” What would you expect to precede this sentence? We might anticipate a statement of Paul’s ministry success or fruitfulness. This is how well-known pastors often talk today: “God has use me greatly … but of course, it is all of his grace.” Interestingly, however, in this passage Paul is speaking of his absolute inferiority: “I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle” (v. 9). Paul sees his weakness and inferiority as the result of God’s grace, and specifically the grace that was “with him” (note the union language) and compelling him to work harder than the other apostles (v. 10).

I’m convinced that one implication of our union with Christ is the increasingly conscious imitation of Christ. Our lives will start to take a Christo-centric shape, a death/resurrection tone. Like Paul, we long “to know … the power of his resurrection” and “share his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Union in Christ is certainly more, but it is never less, than entering into this experience of suffering and glory. As Sinclair Ferguson put it, “union with Christ for the Thessalonians meant that they ‘became imitators of the Lord’ (1 Thess 1:6). We are to have the ‘mind of Christ’ ( 1 Cor 2:16), who left his disciples an example, ‘that you should do as I have done to you’ (John 13:15).”

This is what enables Paul to see his weakness as a gift of God’s grace. He knows that the power of Christ dwells upon him when he is weak (II Corinthians 12:10); he knows that God’s grace uses his inferiority to compel harder work and thus advance the gospel (I Corinthians 15:10); he knows that pressing into his weakness and inferiority is pressing further into his union with Christ.

To find our identity in Christ is therefore to embrace the pattern he set for us of victory through weakness. It is to say with Paul about those uncomfortable areas of our lives, “I am content for the sake of Christ.” It is to be okay with being inferior, to be able to move freely among our betters and say with joy, “I am what I am by the grace of God.”

4) To find our identity in Christ is to continually give up on worldly ambition (I Cor. 3:21)

In I Corinthians 3:21, Paul says, “all things are yours.” How do Christians possess all things? In 3:23, he clarifies that it is through our union with Christ: “and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” When we are united to Christ, we possess all that Christ possesses, and Christ possesses all the Father possesses. Union with Christ therefore implies union to all the things of Christ. As Calvin put it, “to share with us what He has received from the Father, He had to become ours and to dwell within us. For this reason, He is called ‘our Head’ (Eph. 4:15), and ‘the first-born among many brethren’ (Rom. 8:29). We also, in turn, are said to be ‘engrafted into Him’ (Rom. 11:17), and to ‘put on Christ’ (Gal. 3:27).”

To know that in Christ we possess all things is an amazing tonic to earthly ambition. It is harder to waste energy struggling to move your trench forward a few feet when you know the battle is already won your army owns the entire battlefield. To find your identity in Christ means:

- when you desire to be famous, remember that your name is already written in heaven, the most prestigious place it could possibly be (Luke 10:20)
- when you feel eager for human approval, remember that you will be the judge of angels (I Corinthians 6:3)
- when you struggle with coveting money, remember you have a greater and unfading heavenly wealth (Matthew 6:20)
- when you want to be seen as important, remember that the God who made the heavens chose you in Christ from eternity past (Ephesians 1:4)
- when you see a beautiful picture of some part of creation, remember it is part of your inheritance on the new earth (Revelation 21:7)

To find your identity in Christ is to give up on earthly ambition as swallowed up by a far greater ambition. It is to measure your life by a different scale. It is to say, “my personal causes no longer matter because my life is now about the greater cause of Christ.” It is to be okay with being a nobody because you own everything. It is freedom.

5) To find our identity in Christ is to move towards Christians of other “tribes” (I Cor. 3:22)

The passage above where Paul says “all things are yours,” he then continues, “whether Paul or Apollos ….” (3:22). Why does he includes these names? The reason is that in context he is opposing the Corinthian (American!) tendency toward factionalism, and this means locating our identity above that of Christian leaders, and the tribes they represent.

One of the most concrete expressions of finding our identity in Christ is seeking unity with Christ who are different from us with respect to theological distinctives, age, gender, socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, geographical location, political or cultural posture, etc. To find your identity in Christ is to feel grief at what grieves Christ, and to unite around what he values. And that includes not just ideals but people: to find our identity in Christ is to love his body and accept those he accepts: “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” (Romans 15:7).

Therefore to find your identity in Christ is to have a welcoming spirit; it is to be open-hearted and generous; it is to stretch outwards beyond our fleshly distinctives into the fullness and richness of the entire body of Christ. To find your identity in Christ is to love his body, his people. I therefore think one of the most effective ways to locate our hearts in a gospel identity is to pray for our afflicted brothers and sisters around the globe.

Concluding Prayer

Lord, the greatest Person who has ever lived now dwells richly within us, and the greatest thing that has ever been done now shapes and reorders our lives. May we overcome as you have overcome. Teach us to live by the shadow of the cross, in the light of the empty tomb, under the weight of heaven, and in anticipation of your return.

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Suffering is a Doorway, Not a Dead EndGavin OrtlundBecause Christ walked ahead of us, we know greater fellowship with Him as we follow in his steps.
Because Christ walked ahead of us, we know greater fellowship with Him as we follow in his steps.
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Wed, 08 Mar 2017 00:15:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/suffering-is-a-doorway-not-a-dead-end
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/2671Suffering is a Doorway, Not a Dead EndSuffering is a Doorway, Not a Dead End

Suffering for Christ is the call of every Christian. It is like a doorway we cannot get around, but must walk through. “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22); “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12); “it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29).

There are lots of reasons to be modest about whatever suffering we are going through. For example:

We don’t suffer as much as we could or probably should.

We don’t suffer nearly as much as our Savior did, and he suffered in total innocence.

Compared to grandiose examples of suffering for Christ in church history, like Christians being fed to lions, our suffering can seem very small-scale and ordinary.

Oftentimes our suffering is not for the sake of righteousness but simply part of living in a fallen world—or even a result of our own poor decisions.

But after all the caveats and cautions are in, it remains the case that all Christians do in fact suffer for Christ. Sometimes its relatively small things like if you endure gossip or mistreatment without retaliation, persevere in a difficult calling or wait up in the hospital with your non-Christian friend even though you have work early in the morning. Sometimes it's much more severe.

But inevitably, one way or another, the door opens, and God calls us to walk through it.

In that moment, one of the most helpful things is to remember what is on the other side of that door. Suffering for Christ is not a dead end (though it might feel like it!). Rather, it is always a doorway to greater joy and life. Here are three ways that are so.

Suffering is a Doorway to Communion with the Saints

When Jesus blesses our suffering, he does so on the grounds not only of future heavenly reward but of our previous earthly association: “blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you … for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). Cain’s murder of Abel at the beginning of human history established a pattern that plays itself out over and over, in every generation and in every place, whenever good and evil clash in human affairs. Whenever good comes along, evil hates it—not in spite of its goodness, but because of it: “why did Cain murder Abel? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous” (I John 3:12). When we suffer for Christ, we enter this historical pattern; we become associated with a larger cause; we are pulled up into greater loyalty and identification within this great struggle.

Our suffering may not be particularly grand suffering compared to, say, Job’s pottery scars, or Paul’s back lashings, or Latimer’s charred flesh. Against the broader backdrop of the saints and martyrs throughout the ages, our suffering might look like a tiny little hut built amidst skyscrapers. Nonetheless, for all that, it is still a part of the landscape. We share the same neighborhood as “the prophets of old.” We are on their team.

It is so helpful to remember, when we walk through suffering, that what happens to us is nothing new. Countless others have walked through that doorway before us. It is normal. It is the pattern. “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

When we see our suffering in its corporate context—when we are able to say, with trepidation but true conviction, “for so they persecuted the prophets of old,” it turns the shame of suffering into a badge of honor. Just as, when you live in a tiny hut, there is nonetheless joy and pride if it resides in a world-famous neighborhood.

Suffering is Doorway to Fellowship with Christ

Twice in 1 Peter the apostle commends suffering for Christ on the basis of the prior and larger reality of Christ’s suffering:

It is a gracious thing to suffer for good (2:19-20) –> because Christ also suffered for you (2:21-25)

Suffer for doing good (3:8-17) –> for Christ also suffered once for sins (3:18-22)

When we suffer for Christ, it is so helpful to remember: He was here first. Suffering is a doorway, an entrance to something new that we have not yet experienced. But its newness is to us, not to him. The other side of that doorway is not some foreign, unexplored territory. Whatever suffering we may face, it is already on the map—it is a site that has already been excavated, a land that has already been chartered. We are called to follow, not explore.

And because Christ walked ahead of us, we know greater fellowship with Him as we follow in his steps. To suffer for Christ is, in a mysterious way, to suffer with Christ—it is to “share Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:13) and to “know … the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). It is as though his death and resurrection are a kind of an archetypal pattern, performed in history but as real and enduring as one of Plato’s forms—and in our suffering, we enter into this pattern. We “follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21); he is our “pioneer” (Hebrews 2:10); on the other side of that door is greater fellowship with Christ.

Suffering is a Doorway to Resurrection Joy and Power

In the gospel, suffering for Christ is not only a doorway to greater knowledge of Christ’s suffering, but to a greater experience of his resurrection. This is part of the archetypal pattern into which we walk. “To know him and the power of his resurrection” is of one piece with to “share his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Suffering with Christ always leads to glorification with Christ: “we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17).

The resurrection is the ultimate assurance that suffering with Christ is not a dead end. It means that what is on the other side of that door is a blessing we could never get except through this suffering. The resurrection means that not only does God meet us in the suffering, but He will redeem it—He will make it good that we went through that suffering. The resurrection, therefore, means we can walk into that doorway with hope rather than fear. Just as Paul says: “…not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God…” (Philippians 1:27). And Peter: “…have no fear of them, nor be troubled…” (1 Peter 3:14).

This death-resurrection pattern of the gospel reveals the secret to all of life: life comes through death, joy comes through suffering, victory comes through loss, and possession comes through sacrifice. Suffering is a doorway, not a dead end.

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:19).

Editor's note: this originally published at Gavin's website, Soliloquium.

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7 Principles of Sabbath RestGavin OrtlundHere are 7 principles about Sabbath rest that I am learning. I share them in hopes they might help others fighting the battle of busyness, fatigue, and endurance.
Here are 7 principles about Sabbath rest that I am learning. I share them in hopes they might help others fighting the battle of busyness, fatigue, and endurance.
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Tue, 05 Jan 2016 00:15:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/7-principles-of-sabbath-rest
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/17807 Principles of Sabbath Rest7 Principles of Sabbath Rest

Life has been busy lately. Between being a dad, a pastor, and a student, it feels like each day is a sprint. But I believe the Lord has called me to all these things, and I’m enjoying them all and learning so much in the process.

I have, however, had to reflect a great deal about the importance of setting up healthy habits of work and rest during this season. Somewhat paradoxically, I rest more deliberately and more consistently during this time of my life than I ever have.

Here are 7 principles about Sabbath rest that I am learning. I share them in hopes they might help others fighting the battle of busyness, fatigue, and endurance.

1) Rest before you get tired

Working until you crash is an easy default. When there is a lot to do, it is easy to keep going as long as you have the energy. But I have found that effective Sabbath rest requires paying greater attention to patterns of behavior over the long haul than bursts of energy in the short-term.

It can be difficult to wrench yourself away from the computer when you still feel like working. But it is healthy to have defined limits that are determined by objective plans more than by moment-by-moments feelings. If I go home at 5 PM even when I feel like I could keep working, for instance, I almost inevitably have more energy the next day. What this means is that taking Sabbath rest well actually requires discipline and intentionality. Paradoxically, rest is hard work!

2) Have a rhythm to your rest

Different Christians interpret the Sabbath differently. But even those of us who believe that old covenant Sabbath regulations have ended should learn from the principle of those regulations. After all, Sabbath is not merely a commandment to Israel (Exodus 20), but a foundational principle of creation (Genesis 1), and a picture of the gospel (Hebrews 4).

I have carved out particular portions of my week for particular kinds of rest. When I don’t have structured times of work and rest, my times of work are less productive, less enjoyable, and accompanied by a nagging feeling of guilt that I am over-working. By contrast, if I know I have a time for rest with my family coming up, I can work with greater productivity and with a sense of freedom, knowing that God’s pleasure is in my work insofar as I do it unto Him. It is a great feeling to come home exhausted, feel like I’ve given it my best, and then genuinely leave my work behind me.

3) When you are resting, rest

It is easy to think during our day off, “I’ll just respond to this one email, it will only take 30 seconds.” But there is some healthy about having space that is truly blocked out for rest, space that nothing that can invade. An email may take 30 seconds to write, but it will probably take more psychological and mental energy, especially if its something important you will keep thinking about. There is also wisdom in setting good boundaries and helping people not expect immediate email responses all the time. (If you answer once, will they keep emailing?)

4) Rest from social media and other electronics as well

Social media speed up and often clutter life. They are great resources but can also be incredibly destructive if we abuse them. I try most weeks to take Sabbath rest from my phone and computer from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. It is a way to de-clutter my mind before church. I have found that I really need that, and I didn’t know how much I needed it until I started doing it. I wonder if sometimes our minds and habits are so enmeshed with social media that we are not even aware of the effect it is having upon us. It is healthy to take small steps and see what effect it has: even just turning your phone off for one hour in the middle of every day can start to show us just how addicted we have become.

5) Find a hobby

I think one of the reasons people don’t rest well is they don’t have hobbies. Hobbies are helpful because they occupy our minds and energies during Sabbath rest. That is often more balancing and more restorative than simply sitting on the couch and watching TV. More and more I think Sabbath rest is not just a matter of ceasing all activity, but redirecting our activity into alternative, life-giving channels. Again, paradoxically, Sabbath rest takes work!

Oftentimes it is good, I think, for our hobbies to be different from our profession. For instance, if you have a desk job, join an intramural sports team. Or if your job is highly relational and fast-paced, find a hobby that is leisurely and provides solitude. I think pastors and others who work in a Christian environment can often benefit from having hobbies that put them into close contact with non-Christians and/or in a non-leadership role. When your identity 6 days a week is “pastor,” there is something healthy about your identity switching on the that 7th day to “the guy out in right field.” It is healthy and normalizing. I know one pastor in the UK who joined a boxing league. He said he loved it, and also got to share the gospel with Muslims regularly. What a great idea: for the exercise, for the gospel opportunity, and also for the personal rejuvenation.

6) Find ways to rest with your family

Sometimes being a father/mother is exhausting, and sometimes marriage takes a lot of work. But for the most part, family can and should be a healthy distraction from busyness. I have heard it said that you can often measure how healthy a family is by how much they play together and have fun and laugh together. I think there is truth to that. The overworked dad may find nothing better for his own soul than to come home and play with his kids at the park. Rather than see it as another thing to do, see it as a divinely appointed distraction and Sabbath opportunity. For me, this means going to the park with my son between 5-5:45 PM every day. I started doing this to serve my wife and get more time with Isaiah, but now I look forward to it everyday. It is relaxing at the end of the day to be outside and slow down a bit before I come home for dinner.

7) Where you struggle with Sabbath, remember the gospel

If you struggle to take Sabbath rest, it may be a gospel issue—finding your identity in your work, or being a people pleaser, or using busyness to distract you from unhappiness. So much over-work is driven by self-justification efforts: we need to accomplish more and more because we are failing to apply to our hearts what Christ has already accomplished for us. So the most important thing to do during Sabbath rest is refresh your heart with fellowship with God, and enjoy your status as his beloved child because of what Christ has done.

A great irony I sometimes I find is that if my day off is going poorly and is not fun/restful, I can start to get a little agitated or stressed at how poorly I am doing Sabbath! In those moments I need to remember that Jesus Himself is our truest Sabbath rest. Ultimately, our rest is not in a Sabbath day, but in Christ himself, who has promised us, “come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

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5 Strategies for Daily Bible ReadingGavin OrtlundAs I have tried to help guys struggling in this area, and also remain vigilant and creative and fresh in my own Bible intake, I’ve come up with a couple basic ideas that some have found helpful.
As I have tried to help guys struggling in this area, and also remain vigilant and creative and fresh in my own Bible intake, I’ve come up with a couple basic ideas that some have found helpful.
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Thu, 10 Dec 2015 00:30:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/5-strategies-for-daily-bible-reading
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/17045 Strategies for Daily Bible Reading5 Strategies for Daily Bible Reading

I’ve always been amazed by Jesus’ response to Satan’s first temptation: “if you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:3). I picture Jesus there, looking at the stones. His ribs are poking out, and his body is worn away after 40 days of fasting. But even in extreme hunger, Jesus prioritizes spiritual food above our physical food: “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

In other words, Jesus’ response is not simply a rejection of Satan’s offer, but a reorientation of his condition. I might expect Jesus to say, “man shall not disobey the Lord even when he dies of hunger.” Instead, he says, in effect, “even now, as my body wastes away, even here my deepest need is not bread but the Word of God.”

One of the issues that comes up most often frequently when I am discipling others in the church is the struggle to do daily Bible reading. And it doesn’t necessarily get easier for those of us who are in ministry or study the Bible in an academic context—in fact, I think many pastors face the temptation of their teaching ministry from the Bible to crowd out, or altogether replace, their own personal devotional reading of Scripture. But if Christ claims that daily Bible reading is more important to us than daily food, we can’t neglect our own nourishment, even while seeking to feed others.

As I have tried to help guys struggling in this area, and also remain vigilant and creative and fresh in my own Bible intake, I’ve come up with a couple basic ideas that some have found helpful.

1) Plan a regular time and place into your daily schedule

I have found that amid the pace of life, Bible reading (like so many other things) tends to eclipsed unless it is structured into our daily schedule. I used to try to do it first thing when I wake up, but there is a glaring problem with this strategy: I drink coffee. This means that my brain is not at its best when I first wake up. Also, having kids who wake up at different times makes my morning routine less predictable. So I have switched to taking the first few minutes when I first walk into my office. I wait to turn on the computer, and I close the door. If I know there will be a lot of people wanting to talk, I go to the park or a quiet spot in the sanctuary.

Some people have personalities or schedules (or both) that are not conducive to daily time sitting down and reading. So one piece of advice I have given to people in this circumstance is to get the Bible on audio on your iPhone, and then listen to it on your drive to work, or when you go to the gym. But one way or another, it really helps to have a set time each day that is set apart for it. This helps ensure it will actually happen, and also creates a sense of rhythm and regularity to it.

2) Do it with someone else

I don’t mean actually reading the Bible with someone else in the room with you (though that can work, too). I mean have someone else who is on the same schedule as you, and whom you see somewhat regularly in the course of life so you can check in about how it is going, and what you are learning.

Over the past several years, when younger guys confess that they struggle with doing “quiet times” regularly, I have started to plan out my own devotional schedules and then going through it with them. It has been an awesome experience: not only does it provide some built-in accountability, but it also gives the opportunity to dialogue and engage about what you are learning. It is much more motivating to read carefully when you know you are going to have a conversation with someone about what you are reading, and it is also opens up doors to see new things in the text you never would have seen on your own.

I have started doing devotions guides for our church, organized around our sermon schedule, to widen out this experience to the entire church. It is really helpful when many different people are engaging with the same biblical texts and topics: it generates a lot of synergy and conversation.

3) If you are new to it or bad at it, keep it simple and short

Sometimes people struggle with doing daily devotional Bible reading because they work it up in their mind as more than it needs to be, just like people avoid going to the gym because they feel intimidated and out of place because of all the super healthy there. I have found that some people feel liberated by the reminder that it does not need to be super long, or super in-depth and scholarly. If you struggle to do daily Bible reading, and you’re trying to get better, don’t start with commentaries or huge chunks of text. Start with simplicity, and then build from that point.

For example, just reading and praying about one verse for five minutes each day is way better than doing nothing, and it’s a good starting place to build from. Just like 20 minutes on the treadmill three times a week is not going to put you in league with any Olympic athletes, but it can still make a huge difference in your health. A little is much better than none, and it gives you a place to build from.

4) Have a system for summarizing and remembering what you learn

Bryan Chapell talks about the “3:00 AM test” for sermons: imagine someone wakes you up at 3:00 AM and asks you what the sermon is about. Can you remember? If not, the sermon is probably half-baked.

When I stop halfway through the day and I cannot remember what I did for devotions that morning, I know I am rushing through my devotions too quickly, over breakfast or on the run or something, and not really digesting God’s Word. For me, it is especially easy with longer narrative texts to simply move on with my day and forget what I have read, so I have found I have to find a system to summarize and remember what I learn from it. I find it often helps to write down a brief summary of something God teaches you, and then repeat it and pray about it throughout the day.

Right now I am reading through I and II Kings, and I read a chapter a day. Because it is not always obvious how to summarize each chapter, I write down one brief sentence that encapsulates something I’ve learned from the text. So for I Kings 1 it was, “God chooses leaders contrary to human wisdom.” Not the most profound or deep idea, and not the only thing in the text. But its something that stood out to me from the process of Solomon being chosen over Adonijah. It gives me something tangible to hang onto later in the day when I think back on the story. And then I will see it again the next day to take me into I Kings 2, so it also helps build continuity from one day to the next.

5) Implement a structure for prayer and application

It is not always easy to know how to apply various passages of Scripture to the gospel, and to ourselves. For example, if your morning schedule puts you on the old prophet at Bethel in I Kings 13, you mind wonder how in the world this story fits in with the larger biblical narrative, or what is going to come at you in your day.

There are lots of ways to try to integrate each individual text into the larger context of redemptive history, and systematically in relation to the gospel, and in the finer points, this is a complicated task that no one ever stops growing in. But I believe every Christian can make real progress by bringing a basic gospel structure to each biblical passage. For example, here are two questions that can be a very helpful launching point, and which I once again draw loosely from Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching:

what does this passage reveal about human nature that needs redemption?
what does this passage reveal about God’s nature that provides redemption?

That is not all you need to do, but it is often a good starting point for prayer and application. Suddenly, when I’m in I Kings 13, for example, when I’m starting to see new insights about the crookedness of sin, and the binding nature of God’s word. I start thinking about how much of my own inconstancy and fickleness I see in the characters of this story. I remember from yesterday’s reading the promise that “a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name” (13:2). I feel the weight of the relative darkness of this time in history, the desperate need of God’s people for a king and savior—ultimately, a greater Josiah. I reflect on all that has happened in redemptive history since this passage.

I find myself more aware of how deeply I need Christ. I think about where the world now would be if Bethlehem had never happened. I think about all that Hebrews says about what Christ has fulfilled, all that has already happened in redemptive history. I take time to thank him, and ask that he would help me see more of his direction and providential leading in my life, as the greater High Priest and King who is now saving and leading God’s people.

Even in I Kings 13, and in every other little corner of the Bible, however obscure, there is some unique contribution to the revelation of the gospel. There is no wasted space in the Bible. In fact, if we take Jesus at his word, “every word … comes from the mouth of God”—and is more important to us than our daily food.

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20 Qualities of Good ListenersGavin OrtlundI’ve been blessed to know many people who were good listeners. What makes them good listeners? Some observations . . .
I’ve been blessed to know many people who were good listeners. What makes them good listeners? Some observations . . .
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Wed, 03 Feb 2016 00:15:00 -0600https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/20-qualities-of-good-listeners
https://ftc.co/resource-library/1/185920 Qualities of Good Listeners20 Qualities of Good Listeners

I have been reflecting lately on how important – and how difficult – it is to listen. I am coming to understand how much conflict and misunderstanding is related to a failure to listen well, and I want to become a better listener.

I’ve been blessed to know many people who were good listeners. What makes them good listeners? Some observations:

1) Good listeners consider a person’s statements in relation to their presuppositions (as much as possible). They are willing to ask the question “how does this make sense to them?” and genuinely seek an answer to that question in evaluating another person’s opinion.

2) Good listeners are not hasty in making judgments. They are willing to think about something for a while. They don’t have to categorize everyone and everything immediately. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).

3) Good listeners pay careful attention to words. They don’t assume that an idea they are hearing is identical to an idea they are already familiar with simply because it has similarities. They respect the complexity of reality and are willing to make fine distinctions and treat each person, each statement, each idea on its own terms.

4) Good listeners ask questions. Not to embarrass or attack, but to clarify and distill.

5) Good listeners are not lazy. They work hard to understand. They exert energy in listening. For example, other people can usually tell that they are listening from their body posture and nonverbal communication.

6) Good listeners don’t feel threatened by not controlling the conversation. They are comfortable with silence. They give the speaker unthreatened, unhurried space in which to operate while communicating.

7) Good listeners understand that everyone has different communication styles, and adjust their listening to correspond to the speaker’s communication style. For example, if the speaker is shy, they draw the person out more. If they are talkative, they interject more. Etc. They don’t take a “once size fits all” approach to listening.

8) Good listeners interrupt intentionally and gently, rather than habitually and rashly.

9) Good listeners recall their own subjectivity and finitude as a listener. They make evaluations with the humility that corresponds to seeing parts, not the whole. They consider the angle and point of view from which they are listening.

10) Good listeners are willing to listen to something even if its hard to hear. They don’t stop listening as soon as they become offended or turned off by the speaker. They can receive a rebuke.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

11) Good listeners do not unreasonably question the motives of the speaker. They make a good faith assumption that, all other factors being equal, the speaker is trying to communicate clearly and truthfully.

12) Good listeners don’t equate listening with agreeing. Good listeners understand that careful listening equips you to disagree well, because by listening you understand more clearly what it is that you disagree with.

13) Good listeners are not simply waiting to talk again when someone else is speaking. They actually value the contributions of other people.

14) Good listeners remember that you can learn from anyone. They realize that human subjectivity and fallenness is such that the most learned person can still learn from a little child.

15) Good listeners love people. They understand that listening is connected to every other aspect of relationships. The understand that there is simply no substitute for genuine affection for other people.

“The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

16) Good listeners pay attention to nonverbal communication without discounting verbal communication. They pay attention to the fact that they are paying attention to both nonverbal communication and verbal communication.

17) Good listeners are willing to speak. They don’t equate listening with silence. They understand that the speaker may need them to communicate in order to further the conversation.

18) Good listeners understand that every act of communication takes place in a context or setting. They consider the way the context of a communication event shapes the meaning. For example, they understand social dynamics and the way different situations call for different kinds of listening.

19) Good listeners are willing to stop listening to something that is perverse, wicked, or dangerously foolish. They understand that in a fallen world there are some things that are so evil or foolish that they should not even be listened to. They know when to draw the line. They use common sense.

20) Good listeners understand how important listening is to a relationship. They don’t assume or underestimate the value of listening; they value and seek to cultivate good listening skills.